'The Crown Effect' could see British tourist boom

Britain could see a tourism boom as a result of “The Crown effect”, as fans of the Netflix drama about the Queen and her family are inspired to visit their home in real life, a study has suggested.

More than one fifth of tourists planning to come to the UK said television programmes such as The Crown had helped persuade them, according to a study of nearly 10,000 holidaymakers.

The survey, by Barclays, found that 63 per cent of international tourists claim to be more interested in the UK than in previous years.

Clair Foy and Matt Smith bring the story of the Queen and Prince Philip to life for Netflix

While 22 per cent of them cited television shows, which appeared to have a particular effect on Chinese and American tourists, a further 29 per cent attributed their increased interest to advertising campaigns and 31 per cent to the weaker pound following the Brexit vote.

Nearly a third of international tourists said they were more likely to visit the UK after the vote, with just ten per cent saying it had put them off.

Among homegrown holidaymakers, 30 per cent of Britons are expecting to spend more of their time off in the UK, with 39 per cent believing it is better value for money.

A similar effect has previously been reported for Downton Abbey, starring Dame Maggie Smith

The report, Destination UK: driving growth in the UK hospitality and leisure sector, found half of UK respondents chose a UK break because the familiarity of food, language and travel options made it “hassle free”.

Mike Saul, head of hospitality and leisure at Barclays, said: “2017 looks set to be a strong year for the British hospitality sector with both domestic and international visitors increasingly intent on spending more time here.

“Those holidaymakers who are more likely to visit today than 12 months ago are doing so for a range of reasons including the effect of UK operators’ advertising campaigns, the attraction of British TV programmes that have gone global and a case of simply having more money available to spend on holidays from which the UK is set to benefit.”